Floor-smoothing machine.



A. CHILD & A. KRAEMER.

FLOOR SMOOTHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25 1908.

923,330." 7 Patented Julie 1 1909.

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A. GHILD &.A..KRAEMER.

FLOOR SMOOTHUG MACHINE. APBLIOATIVONFILED MAR. 25,,1908. 1 923,330. Patented June 1, 1909.

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iI Lyn-L is WITNESSES:

v ZNVENTOKS m QLIRZLZCZ and W Q Jiraemer 1' H Q 'l u ATTORNEY.

ARTHUR CHILD AND AUGUST KRAEMER, OF DENVER,

COLORADO; SAID KRAEMER ASSIGNOB.

TO SAID CHILD.

FLbOR-SMOOTHING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern: I .Be it known that We, ARTHUR CHILD and AUGUST KRAEMER, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the; county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor-Smoothing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto improvements in floor smoothing machines and has for its object to provide a device capable of effectually abrading a surface over which it is propelled, in a minimum of time and which by reason of the peculiar manner in which its abradant members engage the floor surface as well asby their movement in two directions, will produce apolished surface free from scratches and furrows.

A further object of our invention is to provide means whereby the sand paper-or other abradant agent may be readily applied to the movable members of which in practice, it forms part.

We attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated and in which Figure 1represents a plan view of the apparatus, Fig. 2an enlarged similar view; partly in section, the supporting platform being broken away, Fig. 3-a sectional elevation taken along a line 33, Fig. 2, Fig. lta rear elevation, one of the abradant elements being shown in section, Fig. 5-a detail view of the rotary and oscillatory membersicom+ prised in the means to impart a lateralreciprocating movement to the abradant element, Fig. 6an enlarged side view of the bracket which supports the levers from which the shoes provided to bring the abradant agents in contact with a surface, are suspended, Fig. 7-'-a section taken along a line 7 7, Fig. 6., Fig. 8a similar view showing the shoe levers in the raised position, Fig. 9a

fragmentary'plan viewof one of the belts included in the construction, Fig. 10a section taken along a line 10'10,-Fig. 9, and Fig. 1I'-a section along a line 11-11, Fig. 9.

The device consists of a platform 5 which is supported at its front end upon a caster wheel 6, whose stock 7 is mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, 'and at its rearmost end upon two small wheels 8, secured upon the extremities of a shaft 9 which'is rotatably Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Hairch 25,

, Patented June 1, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 423,173.

I mounted in hangers, 10 which are secured to the platform. handle ll'pivoted to 2. lug 12 upon the platform serves to propel the device 'overthe surface which is being smoothed. Suspended from the platform in hangers '13 and 14, the upper ends of which are secured to its sides, are two parallel transverse shafts 15- each 'of which carries three drums 16 which are arranged in opposite pairs respectively at the .extremities and upon the central portions of the two shafts.

' Around each pair of pulleys passes an endless belt'17, the construction of which will hereinafterbe described and which in practice carries the abrasive agent by means of which the surface over which the apparatus moves, is smoothed.

The rearmost hangers 13 are rigidly secured to the platform while those at its front end (designated by the. character 14) are pivotally suspended therefrom by means of bolts 18. I 4

The lastnamed hangers connect with the lower extremities of two curved links 19, the opposite ends of which are pivotally secured totheupper extremities of crank arms-2O upon a s raft 21 which is rotatably mounted transversely of the platform, in bearings 22.

The shaft 21 is provided-with an upwardly extending handle 23 by means of which it may be moved about its axis and crank arms 20 at its extremities, are each formed with an arcual slot 24 through which the two passes a thumb screw 25 whose threaded extremity extends in a threaded aperture in the bearing 22 and which, in this relation, is capable of securing the shaft and the therem'th associated members inan adjusted position. The mechanism as described serves to slacken the normally tensioned belts 17, by

decreasing the distance between the two shafts 15 for the" purpose of renewing the strips of abradant material which in practice are secured upon the belts. The latter are composed of two members, namely a con- .tinuous leather strap peripheral surface of the opposite drums and a thereto attached layer 27 of felt or other suitable yielding substance, the extremities of which are spaced from each other, asis shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings. Secured upon the leather strap 26 in between the ends of'the member 27 1s a transversely arranged metal plate 28 which is provided 26 which engages the 106 with a longitudinal series of upwardly point ing prongs 29 which in practice pierce the lapping ends of the strip of abradent material 30 which surrounds the belt. A clasp 29 is hingedly secured at one of its extremities to an end of the plate 28 and has a series of apertures arranged to receive the points of the prongs 29 when, for the purpose of securing the ends of the strip 30, the member is locked in engagement with the latter, as is shown in Fig. 11.

/ The locking means, designated in the drawings by the numeral 31 may be of any suitable construction.

In the operation of the device, the belts 17 i which after the abradant material has been secured in the above described manner, are

tensioned by adjustment of the rocker shaft 21, are moved longitudinally through the instrumentality of a sprocket wheel 32 which is mounted upon one of the shafts 15 and which connects by means of a chain 33 with a similar wheel 34 on the shaft of a motor 35 which is supported upon the platform 5. The motor 35 ma be of any suitable construction to operate through the agency of electricity, gaseous fluids, water or any other medium.

In addition to their longitudinal motion the belts 17 have in practice, a lateral reciprocating movement which, when the carrier is propelled over a surface, is imparted thereto through the instrumentality of the following mechanism.

An oscillatory lever 36 is fulcrumed upon an extension 37 of a U-shaped bracket 38, the function of which will hereinafter be described. One arm of the lever has a bifurcated extremity 41, the inturncd ends of which project into the peripheral groove 39 of a wheel 40 which is secured upon the foremost axle 15, and the opposite arm of the lever is provided-with a finger 41 which depending from its extremity projects into a spiral groove 42 cut in the peripheral surface of a cam wheel 43 upon the shaft 9, which connects the surface wheels 8'at the rearmost end of the apparatus.

When the device is propelled over a surface the rotary motion of the shaft 9 will cause the finger 41 to travel-laterally in the groove 42, and the consequent oscillatory movement of the lever 36 is by'reason of its pivotal connection with the wheel 40, transposed into a longitudinal reciprocatingmotion of the shaft 15 and the therewith asso ciated drums 16, which movement is-communicated to the other shaft 15 at the rear end of the device through the instrumentality of the belts 17. It will thus be seen that while by the action of the motor 35, the belts move longitudinally around the drums upon which they are stretched, they likewise have a lateral reciprocating movement when the apparatus is propelled overthe surface which is being polished and that by reason of the combined movements the danger of two levers which respectively connect with the shoes of the central belt and one of the outer belts are fulcrumed in the above referred to U-sha ed bracket 38 which is suspended from t e platform 5, while the third lever, associated with the shoe which engages the belt at the opposite side of the platform, is fulcrumed in a similar bracket 38. whose extremities the shoes 63 are ivotally secured, are respectively erigaged y s iral springs 45 the upper extremities of w ich a ut against nuts 46 screwed upon threaded rods 47 which depend from the lower surface of the platform. By adjusting the position of the nuts 46 upon the respective The bent arms 44? of the levers to shoes at the ends of the arms 44 upon the belts 17 may be varied. The extreme por-' tio'ns of the opposite arms 44 of the levers 44 arebent upwardly to project in the paths of cams 56 by means of which the shoes 63 are raised when it is desired to release the pressure upon the belts 17. The cams 56 which engagev the arms of the levers fulcrumed in the bracket 38 are mounted upon a common shaft 57 which is rotatably supported in apertures in the upright sides of the said bracket and in a bearing 48 which is secured to the platform at its rearmost edge. A hand lever 49 secured upon the outer extremity of the shaft 57 serves toturn the latter about its axis. The cam associated with the leyer fulcrumed in the bracket 38' is likewise mounted u on a shaft which is supported and actuated y means identical.

to those describedin reference to the shaft on the bracket 38. The shoes 63 which, as stated hereinbefore, are pivotally secured to the extremitiesof the long arms 44 of the levers 44 are each composed of an inverted U-shaped bearing plate 50 and aplurality of rollers 51 which are rotatably supported be- I tweenits dependent vertical members 50*.

The rollers 51 which extend transversely in relation to the respective belt 17 are each provided with a series of equidistant, peripheral, annular ribs 52 which project into the intermediate spaces of the adjoining rollers for the urp'ose of reducing the distance be- 1 tween t ieir centers and a continuous belt 53 preferably composed of leather, is stretched around the two end rollers in en agement with the peripheral surfaces of t e intermediate ones, to engage the inner surface of the belt 17 above which the shoe issuspended. Lugs 54 formed upon the upper surface of the plates are provided to pivotally connect the member with the arm of the respective lever.

Having thus described the mechanical construction of our improved floorsmoothing machines, its operation which has been referred torat intervals in the course of the foregoing description, will be readily under stood. i i

After the strips of abrasive material 3Q, have been secured around the bands 17" in the hereinbefore described manner, the latter are tensioned by the action of the rocker shaft 21 which is secured in its adjusted position by means of the thumb nuts 20. 'The shoes 43 which were raised by means of the earns 46 are subsequently lowered to engage with the inner surface of the res ective belts 17 and the entire device is prope ed over the surface it is desired to polish by pressure against the handle 11. The depressing ac tion of the springs I5 upon the long arms of a,combined longitudinal and, laterally reciprocating motion. to the three belts, which by their abradant action produce a polished surface free from scratches or furrows.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. In a floor smoothing machine, the combination with a wheeled carrier, of a. lu-

rality of cooperative, continuous abra ant belts supported thereon and adapted to engage a surface over which the carrier is propelled, and impellent means upon the carrier adapted to imparta longitudinal motion to the said belts. i

2; In a floor smoothing machine, the combination with a wheeled carrier, of a shaft rotatably suspended therefrom, an oscillatory shaft parallel to the first one, drums on the shafts, abradant belts around the drums adapted to engage a surface over which the carrier is propelled, and a lever mechanism whereby the movable shaft may be held in a selected positionrelative to the other;

- 3. In a floor smoothing machine, the combination with a wheeled carrier of a continuous belt ada ted to engage a surface over which the said forgiving the said belt a longitudinal and laterally reciprocating movement.

carrieris propelled, and means 4. In a floor smoothing machine, the combination with a carrier, of a continuous belt having a longitudinal movement thereon in superposed relation to a surface over which the carrier is propelled, a shoe pivotally suspended above the lowermost portion of the belt, and a means adapted to bring the said shoe in forcible engagement with the said portion.

5. In a floor smoothing machine, the combination of a carrier, including supporting 'wheels, parallel shafts rotatably suspended from thecarrier, drums 'upon the shafts, a continuousbelt around the drums, a cam wheel associated with the supporting wheels to rotate in unison therewith, and an oscillatory lever one arm of which operatively engages the cam wheel While the opposite arm pivotally connects with one of the said shafts.

6 Ina floor smoothing machine the-combination with a carrier, of a continuous belt having a longitudinal movement thereon in superposed relation to a surface over which the carrier is propelled, an oscillatory shoe suspended abovethe lower ortion of the said belt and composed of a p urality of revoluble, parallel rollers and a surrounding belt,*and means adapted to bring the-said shoe in forcible engagement with the said portion. r

7. In a floor smoothing machine the combination with a-carrier, of a'continuous belt having a longitudinal movement thereon in superposed relation to a surface over which the carrier is propelled, a shoe pivotally suselt and composed of a plurality of revoluble,

parallel-rollers each having circumferential ribs which lap those in the adjoining one and a continuous belt surrounding the rollers.

8. In a floor smoothing machine the combination with a carrier, of a continuous belt having a longitudinal'movement thereon in superposed relation to a surface over which the carrier ispropelled, a lever fulcrumed on the said carrier, a shoe pivot ally connected with an arm thereof and adapted to depress a portion of the said belt so as to engage the said surface and a resilient member arranged" to depress the said arm.

-9. In a floor smoothing machine, the combination with a carrier of a continuous belt having a longitudinal movement thereon in superposed relation to a surface over which the carrier is propelled, a lever fulcrumed on the said carrier, a shoe pivotally connected with an arm thereof and adapted to depress a portion of the said belt so as to engage the said surface, a resilient member arranged to depress the said arm and means to vary the tension of the said member.

10. In a floor smoothing machine, the

combination with a carrier, of a continuous belt having. a longitudinal movement thereon 'the carrier is propelled, a lever fulcrumed on the said carrier, a shoe pivotally connected with an arm thereof and adapted to depress a portion of the said belt so as to engage the said surface, a resilient member arranged to depress the said arm and an adjustable means adapted to depress theopposite arm of the lever. 1

11. In a floor smoothing machine, the

combination with a carrier, of a continuous belt having a longitudinal movement thereon in superposed relation to a surface over-which the carrier is propelled, a lever fulcrumed on the said carrier, a shoe pivotally connected a portion of the said belt so as to engage the said surface, a resilient member arranged to depress the said arm, and a cam revolubly connected with the carrier and adapted to raise the said shoe by engagement with the opposite arm of the said lever.

in testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR CHILD.

AUGUST KRAEMER.

Witnesses GUs. M. WIRTH, OMAR L. WoRfln-r. 

